So far as I am aware, the peanut brittle being made commercially today is produced much in the same manner as it has been for many years. That is, the normal ingredients for the precursor mix of peanut brittle, such as peanuts, sugar, corn syrup, butter, etc., are mixed and cooked to a golden brown to produce a heated mixture of peanuts in what may be referred to as a caramel. Upon the completion of the cooking, but with continued mixing, bicarbonate of soda is added and almost immediately the mixture is then spread out on an oiled, cool surface such as a slab of marble, a sheet of stainless steel, etc. This spreading out of the mixture is basically a manual operation. It must be performed very rapidly since the heat of the mixture (e.g., 300.degree. F., 148.89.degree. C.) at the time the bicarbonate of soda is added will burn the bicarbonate of soda unless there is the prompt cooling of the mixture achieved by spreading it out in the form of a thin sheet on a cool surface. The burning of the bicarbonate of soda is exhibited by a blackening of the mixture and a resultant smoking. This results in an undesirable product. After the temperature of the sheet of mix is substantially reduced and rather uniform, but before the caramel hardens, the sheet is stretched, again conventionally a hand operation. For a further description of manufacture see pages 544-546 of CANDY PRODUCTION, by Walter L. Richmond, published by The Manufacturing Confectioner (1948).
Because the product must be sheeted promptly after the bicarbonate of soda is added and because it is a thick, tacky mixture, a precursor mix prepared in the above manner is not very suitable for sheeting by mechanical equipment as distinguished from a hand operation.
The principal object of the present invention is to mechanize the manufacture of peanut brittle. To this end, I have not only devised apparatus for performing the various operations conventionally performed by hand, but I have also devised a precursor mix which reduces the tendency of the bicarbonate of soda to burn (i.e., more time is available after the bicarbonate of soda is added and before the sheet is formed) and the plasticity of the mix is increased without impairing the desirable characteristics of the finished peanut brittle. The precursor mix prepared in accordance with my invention results in a peanut brittle which by normal observation is indistinguishable from conventional peanut brittle except that it has the desirable characteristic of being more tender to the bite when it is eaten. It is also more shatter resistant, i.e., does not tend to produce fines, as compared to conventional peanut brittle. While not having a noticeably different flavor, the flavor of the resultant product is enhanced.
The precursor mix of my invention corresponds to the conventional mix except that it includes, in addition to the ingredients of the conventional mix, between about three-tenths of one percent and about two percent (by weight) of comminuted popped popcorn. The popcorn should be comminuted to an extent that substantially all (97% or 98%) will pass through a No. 1 mesh screen. With large pieces of popcorn and/or excessive quantities of popcorn included in the mix the resulting peanut brittle does not have the important characteristic of appearing to correspond to conventional peanut brittle. Furthermore, a corresponding amount by weight of large pieces of popcorn will not obtain as intimate a contact with the mix and thus will not have the cooling effect to ameliorate burning and improve flowability for sheeting purposes.
A principal object of the apparatus of the present invention is simplicity. In the main, it may be constructed using readily available components. It can be easily cleaned and maintained in a sanitary condition. Prototype operations have demonstrated that it satisfactorily performs all of the conventionally manual operations in producing peanut brittle. It results in substantial monetary savings in the manufacture of peanut brittle as compared to a manual process.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from the following description of the drawings.